Note on promotion of rooting in difficult-to-root fruit-tree cuttings with 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid and acetylene in the presence of auxins.
Sadhu M. K., Bose S.
Author Affiliation: Calcutta University, Calcutta, West Bengal 700 019, India.
Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 50 : 448-450
Abstract : Trials were carried out with mango cuttings taken from 2-month-old seedlings, and with guava and Syzygium aqueum cuttings taken from the current year's shoots of well established trees. The cuttings were 20-25 cm long with 4 upper leaves. The basal 1 cm of cuttings was dipped for 24 h in a solution of ethephon (50 p.p.m.) or in acetylene (100 p.p.m.) alone and some cuttings were also dipped for 30 sec in solutions of either IAA (2500 p.p.m.) or IBA (2500 p.p.m.). With mango, ethephon increased the number of rooted cuttings from 16% in the non-treated control to 41% when applied alone or, 48% when used with IAA or 76% with IBA. Acetylene was much less effective (10-30% rooting). Guava cuttings failed to root in the absence of auxins, the best combination being acetylene + IBA (50% rooted cuttings). In S. aqueum ethephon alone inhibited rooting, which was 20% in the control, 15% with acetylene only and 60% when IBA was used alone or in combination with ethephon or acetylene.